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‘16 traditional or early 2000’s standard?

Swjake83

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Mar 26, 2019
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So I’m in the market for a Les Paul. I have a SG standard with the thin neck that I’m selling to help fund this guitar. I’d like to stay around $1,500 but would go a little more for the right guitar. I don’t want a fat neck, but I don’t want the thin either. So here is the question;
should I be looking at the ‘16 traditionals (I’ve read this was a great year for this model and I can find a few), or the early 2000’s standards? Specifically a 2003. How similar or how different are these guitars? Are the newer traditionals closer to that era standard than they are different?

i will probably swap parts to make it my version of a r9 but for now assuming stock appointments.

thanks in advance. The neck is what is the most obvious area of question, but I’m interested in any and all applicable differences and I know this is the place to find the answers!
 

johnreardon

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Mar 15, 2006
Messages
544
You take your hand and grab the necks.
:dude: Fully agree, just play the things and forget this nonsense about year **** is a good or bad year. As with most things made you can get good or bad every year a thing is manufactured.
 

sonar

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Jan 10, 2003
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I like the 02-08 Standards. The difference between the 50's and 60's neck on that era Standard isn't huge, as the 60's tapers more above say the 6th fret. In a broad and very general statement, the 60's neck on the Standard from the naughts is not as skinny as the 90's Classics nor as authentic as many R0 profiles, but still a somewhat slimmer neck in the modern, Gibson USA world.
 

Swjake83

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Joined
Mar 26, 2019
Messages
8
You take your hand and grab the necks.
:dude: Fully agree, just play the things and forget this nonsense about year **** is a good or bad year. As with most things made you can get good or bad every year a thing is manufactured.

ah yes. The very informative answers I was looking for. I would never have thought of that... I happen to live in an area that none of the 4 music stores carry Gibson and no one has any used ones. I’d have to drive 3 hours to Nashville to find a decent selection of them. So, like many people, I look on reverb. Thus the question. There are several good looking early 2000’s standards available and then several good choices for 2016 traditionals. These seem to be highly rated years based on THIS forums threads. However I was curious as to the neck shape that was built into each of these examples given above.

technically, every forum topic or question in here could be answered with the “just pick it up and play it” response. Would be a pretty boring place wouldn’t it...?
 

Swjake83

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Mar 26, 2019
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I like the 02-08 Standards. The difference between the 50's and 60's neck on that era Standard isn't huge, as the 60's tapers more above say the 6th fret. In a broad and very general statement, the 60's neck on the Standard from the naughts is not as skinny as the 90's Classics nor as authentic as many R0 profiles, but still a somewhat slimmer neck in the modern, Gibson USA world.

thanks! Sounds like the early 2000’s standards err toward slimmer. This may end up being what I was hoping to find. I have smaller hands, but I don’t like the super slim 60’s one.

thanks again, that makes me feel better to have that confirmed about that era.
 

sonar

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thanks! Sounds like the early 2000’s standards err toward slimmer. This may end up being what I was hoping to find. I have smaller hands, but I don’t like the super slim 60’s one.

thanks again, that makes me feel better to have that confirmed about that era.


There is some slight variance from year to years and even guitar to guitar in a given year. And occasionally the profile difference is very minor.

That said, I never played an '02 to '08 with a neck that resembled a 90's Classic.
 

johnreardon

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Mar 15, 2006
Messages
544
ah yes. The very informative answers I was looking for. I would never have thought of that... I happen to live in an area that none of the 4 music stores carry Gibson and no one has any used ones. I’d have to drive 3 hours to Nashville to find a decent selection of them. So, like many people, I look on reverb. Thus the question. There are several good looking early 2000’s standards available and then several good choices for 2016 traditionals. These seem to be highly rated years based on THIS forums threads. However I was curious as to the neck shape that was built into each of these examples given above.

technically, every forum topic or question in here could be answered with the “just pick it up and play it” response. Would be a pretty boring place wouldn’t it...?
So if you don't take good advice, you'll take pot luck in what you get.

I live in UK and I also have a long drive to find a store that stocks Gibson. Not as long as 3 hours for most, but I have driven from where I live to Edinburgh, a 6-7 hour trip to check out a guitar.

Take it or leave it, but I repeat the bit about certain years being good or bad is utter nonsense.
 

metropolis

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Sep 14, 2018
Messages
390
I almost had the same decision but made my decision (a 2002 Standard) by circumstances without being able to compare the two.

In hindsight I made the right move - the older Standards hold a much higher value over here and there's an abundance of Traditionals for sale so when I saw the Standard at the price of (even below) most Traditionals I jumped on it. I'm not overly fussy over necks but my Standard has a 50s which is chunky (mainly in the shoulders) but not that enormous (like my extra wide 2015 one).
 

El Gringo

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Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
I would ask the shop in question for the neck profile on the 2016 Traditional ( for example they could say .90 - 1.02 , or they could say full C shape , or slim taper like most often found on 60 spec Les Paul's etc. ) Myself I would lean towards the Traditional model because most years have a solid non weight relieved body , but that's just my own opinion as for preference . Call them on the phone for a better description and ask if they could also send you multiple photos of front , back , neck front and back , headstock neck and back including serial# ,control cavity , sometimes you see them block out the serial # and I don't like that as I like to know as much detail as I can to make a better informed choice . I would avoid like the plague any neck break or headstock break no matter how much of a discount they are giving you or the marketing crap that it is stronger than it left the factory or never has it played better or any of that crap . If you really want to get anal and more protective of your purchase ask for black light photos that will show any thing that could be questionable . Please be careful as there a lot of scammers out there and when in doubt just walk away . Also if you want to take it a step further only deal with reputable authentic Gibson dealers ! Lastly buyer beware and please be careful as Les Paul's are not being given away for free and our hard earned money is very valuable ! Good Luck and best wishes !
 

sonar

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Jan 10, 2003
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3,589
Standard LP's went chambered in early 2006.

A 2003 is your average garden variety, swiss cheese weight relief.
 

Swjake83

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Mar 26, 2019
Messages
8
I would ask the shop in question for the neck profile on the 2016 Traditional ( for example they could say .90 - 1.02 , or they could say full C shape , or slim taper like most often found on 60 spec Les Paul's etc. ) Myself I would lean towards the Traditional model because most years have a solid non weight relieved body , but that's just my own opinion as for preference . Call them on the phone for a better description and ask if they could also send you multiple photos of front , back , neck front and back , headstock neck and back including serial# ,control cavity , sometimes you see them block out the serial # and I don't like that as I like to know as much detail as I can to make a better informed choice . I would avoid like the plague any neck break or headstock break no matter how much of a discount they are giving you or the marketing crap that it is stronger than it left the factory or never has it played better or any of that crap . If you really want to get anal and more protective of your purchase ask for black light photos that will show any thing that could be questionable . Please be careful as there a lot of scammers out there and when in doubt just walk away . Also if you want to take it a step further only deal with reputable authentic Gibson dealers ! Lastly buyer beware and please be careful as Les Paul's are not being given away for free and our hard earned money is very valuable ! Good Luck and best wishes !

great advice. Thanks!
 

Swjake83

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Mar 26, 2019
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8
So if you don't take good advice, you'll take pot luck in what you get.

I live in UK and I also have a long drive to find a store that stocks Gibson. Not as long as 3 hours for most, but I have driven from where I live to Edinburgh, a 6-7 hour trip to check out a guitar.

Take it or leave it, but I repeat the bit about certain years being good or bad is utter nonsense.

I understand the advice and agree it’s the best way to buy a guitar, but it’s just not going to be realistic for me anytime soon. Maybe waiting until I could is the best idea, but I’m not sure I have that level of patience. Haha.

the part about years, I agree good guitars and bad guitars are made each year, t there are eras in which QC and or sourced material were known or even rumored to be known as better than others. I realize this is your opinion, but I believe it’s fairly well accepted in any industry that some times things are made to a higher standard based on materials and the person putting the thing together.

but again, my main question was in general, are the necks of given years more similar or really different in general. My assumption was the recent traditionals are pretty similar to the pre-chambered standards, ie pre 2006.
 

Swjake83

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Mar 26, 2019
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Standard LP's went chambered in early 2006.

A 2003 is your average garden variety, swiss cheese weight relief.

this was one of the main questions I had from stuff I have read. It seems the recent traditionals are similar in more ways than not to the pre 2006 standards. Would you say that’s true?
 

sonar

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this was one of the main questions I had from stuff I have read. It seems the recent traditionals are similar in more ways than not to the pre 2006 standards. Would you say that’s true?

Headstock on the Trad is wider and the pickups are different. Pre-08 Standards had nickel plated hardware. Not sure on the Trad?
 
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